A review by roaming_reader
Midnight in Everwood by M.A. Kuzniar
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
This book is a retelling of the Nutcracker - but the original story, not the ballet. There are elements of ballet widely incorporated as the MC, Marietta, is a ballet dancer.
Marietta is a wealthy society girl who wants nothing more than to dance with the national ballet company, and not be forced into a marriage by her image-conscious parents. She catches the eye of mysterious Dr. Drosselmeir and ends up getting transported to (and subsequently trapped in) the magical world of Everwood. It is up to her to find her way out.
Overall, I did enjoy the story. Once Marietta was transported to Everwood, the story picked up the pace and almost flew by. I tagged it as medium-paced because the beginning is slow, and then it goes by fast. I enjoyed all of the references to ballet and dancing, but that's also because I was a dancer for 18 years and danced in several of the ballets mentioned.
My major disappointment with the story is the one-dimensional characters. And some of the characters were truly interesting! But we were given hardly any time with them, and in the case of Marietta's two companions (fellow prisoners), I wanted more time with them! They had such great backstories and we were only given a slight case.
Another slight pet peeve of mine (but not as much as other reviewers) is the use of food as descriptors. There are many other words besides "butterscotch" to describe light brown/gold/amber eyes. But it did make sense to me because the world of Everwood is based on the Kingdom of Sweets in the Nutcracker story. So using food references fits.
Overall, I really enjoyed the book for what it was - a fun, dark and twisty story. Don't come here for character development. But come here for a good time in a beautiful world.
Marietta is a wealthy society girl who wants nothing more than to dance with the national ballet company, and not be forced into a marriage by her image-conscious parents. She catches the eye of mysterious Dr. Drosselmeir and ends up getting transported to (and subsequently trapped in) the magical world of Everwood. It is up to her to find her way out.
Overall, I did enjoy the story. Once Marietta was transported to Everwood, the story picked up the pace and almost flew by. I tagged it as medium-paced because the beginning is slow, and then it goes by fast. I enjoyed all of the references to ballet and dancing, but that's also because I was a dancer for 18 years and danced in several of the ballets mentioned.
My major disappointment with the story is the one-dimensional characters. And some of the characters were truly interesting! But we were given hardly any time with them, and in the case of Marietta's two companions (fellow prisoners), I wanted more time with them! They had such great backstories and we were only given a slight case.
Spoiler
I also think that the romance subplot would have been much more engaging if we were given more time to learn about Captain Legat. We were told "he follows the rules but he is a leader of the rebellion so now you have to like him" but the author had several chances to show us this!Another slight pet peeve of mine (but not as much as other reviewers) is the use of food as descriptors. There are many other words besides "butterscotch" to describe light brown/gold/amber eyes. But it did make sense to me because the world of Everwood is based on the Kingdom of Sweets in the Nutcracker story. So using food references fits.
Overall, I really enjoyed the book for what it was - a fun, dark and twisty story. Don't come here for character development.
Spoiler
Other than developing some empathy and falling in love, Marietta did not change. She was always going to leave her home, she was always going to try and dance for the company. She was never going to bend to her parents' wishes. And that never changed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping
Moderate: Death, Violence, and Blood
Minor: Sexual assault